The Department of Justice on Thursday requested to end federal oversight of St. Elizabeths Hospital, filing a joint-motion with the District in U.S. District Court to dismiss a 7-year-old settlement agreement.

Federal oversight began in 2007 during a troubled time in the psychiatric hospital's history when a federal investigation detailed patient assaults and civil rights violations. That investigation found patients at the hospital"were subjected to harm or risk of harm" from leaving the facility unattended or suicides, assaults and undue seclusion and restraints.

The settlement required the hospital to meet 224 performance benchmarks for care and submit biannual reports to the department about its progress.

Following the agreement, St. Elizabeths significantly increased its clinical staff, developed training programs to implement evidence-based best practices and installed an electronic medical records system. In 2010, the hospital moved from multiple aging buildings to a new facility.

“This was a huge team effort by clinicians, administrators and support staff,” said Dr. Patrick J. Canavan, the chief executive officer of the hospital. “These changes benefit some of the District’s most vulnerable residents and reflect our commitment to them and their families.”

As part of Thursday's court filing, the Justice Department requested University Legal Services, a federally recognized protection and advocacy organization, to serve as an independent monitor of the hospital.

Mayor Vincent Gray praised the decision, calling it recognition the District is providing high-quality treatment at the psychiatric hospital. “It is also one more milestone in my administration’s record of ending federal oversight of local government functions,” he said.

While the hospital is a symbol of the District's struggle for power, it’s also a historic landmark. It was the first national facility devoted to the humane treatment of the mentally ill.

The facility has also housed a number of notable patients, including President Ronald Reagan’s attempted assassin, John Hinckley Jr. Prosecutors are considering filing homicide charges against Hinckley after James Brady, Reagan's former press secretary, died earlier this month and a medical examiner ruled it was as a result of the gunshot wound he sustained in the 1981 attack.